Ship-retarding system or device



June 1 3, 1950 A* P. JACKSON SHIP..RETARDING SYSTEM 0R DEVICE Filed Sept. 10, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR. ART/wp f? .marsa/v Wmmwzv AfTO/P/Vfl/S Patented June 13, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to ship-retarding systems and devices, and particularly to a special drag or retarding device which I prefer to term a saveship adapted to be applied in groups on both sides of a ship from which these groups of retarding devices may be launched at will.

The main object of my invention is to provide a ship with manually-controlled multiple means arranged in series for retarding the movement of a ship to prevent collisions and foundering on rocks and Shoals and the like, or colliding with other ships.

Another object is to provide a ship with a number of retarding devices attached by cables to the ship and capable of being instantly launched into the water alongside the ship to produce prompt braking of the ship in emergencies.

A further object is to have a retarding device which is self-contained and electrically released so that complete control of all the retarding devices mounted on the ship may be selectively controlled from the bridge of the latter.

It is also an object to have each retarding device in the system include a base plate secured to the side of the ship and a retarding cup connected to the base plate by means of a cable which is normally coiled Within the cup in idle condition, while the cup is located upon the base plate in effective position to conceal the latter and the coiled cable.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in further detail as the specification proceeds.

In order to facilitate ready comprehension of this invention for a proper appreciation of the salient features thereof, the invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a ship equipped with a series of saveship devices made according to the invention and embodying the same in a practical form and together constituting a braking system for the ship, the retarding devices being shown in initial inactive position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the ship showing the braking devices released and dragging in the water to stop the ship;

Figure. 3 is a front elevation of one of the braking or retarding devices of my invention shown on an enlargedy scale With parts broken-away to disclose internal construction details;

Figure 4 is a section with the entire near side of the cup or bell of the retarding device removed and virtually showing the base plate of the device in front elevation;

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5-5 in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a front elevation of the base plate and its release mechanism in released condition in contrast with the engaged condition shown in Figure 4.

In the various views the same reference numerals indicate the same or like parts.

When ships are at sea, sometimes they encounter fog and mist and are then potentially in danger, especially if they are near other ships or have approached rocks, shoals, or even icebergs. In fact, the sea may occasionally be very deceptive so that danger of collision with another ship or with any other of the mentioned obstacles suddenly arises like an immediate threat. In such conditions of emergency, a ships captain will, of course, order the engines stopped and reversed, but this cannot be eifected instantly, and thus the very momentum of the ship usually cannot be checked in time to avert disaster.

After duly considering this problem, it has occurred to me that there should be conveniently at hand on the bridge of a ship control means for instantly releasing braking or retarding means from the sides of the ship to take eiect at once and check movement of the latter without any delay whatever. As a result, I have found it quite feasible to produce a special retarding device for retarding or braking the movement of a ship which is preferably used in multiple form on both sides of a ship, as will now be particularly described.

Hence, in the practice of my invention, and referring again to the drawings, a, ship, generally indicated at 1, is provided upon a side 8 thereof with a series of spaced saveship retarding devices, generally indicated at 9, 9, etc., which arrangement is repeated upon the other side oi the ship which is concealed from view. As shown in Figure l, the retarding devices 9, 9 are disposed in wholly inactive condition, but as will be explained, each and all of them are nonetheless located in positions which allow them to be dropped into the water at a moments notice in order to take effect Without the necessity of waiting for the engines of the ship to be stopped or reversed. Each of the retarding devices 9 primarily includes a base or attachment plate l0, as best seen in Figures 4, 5 and 6, the plate being substantially a disc of boiler plate or the like secured to the ships side 8 by means of a group of'bolts H, Il. At the lower portions oi' the sides of disc l0 are secured a pair of angle members l2, |2 .riveted to the rear surface of the disc and having the upstanding or projecting lugs I3, I3 to which are secured a pair of inwardlydirected locating studs I4, I4 for a purpose which will presently appear. In substantially the center of the disc lil is located the receiving cup I5 for locating and receiving the inner end of a spring which forms part of the means for releasing the retarding bell or cup about to be described.

As best shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, a retarding cup or bell I6, which is preferably dome shaped, is provided with a ange Il which ts slidably about the periphery of base plate I0 and rests upon the forwardly-projecting lugs I3, I3

of the angle members I2, I2 withthe studs or pins I4, I4 of these angle members 'extending into locating apertures I8, I8 in iange,l Il. of the bell. In the center of the dome-shaped bell I6 is fixed an inwardly-directed thimble or sleeve I9 having an external flange 20 formingthe outer projection of the outer end 2I thereof. Within the sleeve I9 is located av compression spring 22 engaging against the end 2I by its outer end, and at the inner end` thereof engaging in cup I5. The purpose of spring 22.is` to project the retarding bell or cup I6 outwardly away from the side 8 of the ship when released so that it will tip on the two,4 supporting lugs, I3, I3 and disengage` from the-two locatingstuds or pins I4, I4 thereon. The means for retaining the bell assembled with the base disc Ill-includes a pair of slide bolts 23, 23 slidably mounted ina pair of brackets 24, 24 in eachl case secured to the disc or base plate IIJ- and: normally projecting outward through al further pair of` apertures 25, 25 in the cylindrical ange; I'I of bellror cup I6. Obviously, when, both bolts, 23, 23 engage in the apertures 25 in the flangeV I-1 while the latter rests upon the supporting lugs I3. with locating pins I4 thereof extending into the first-mentioned apertures I8 in.r said ange, the retarding bell or cupl II. is positivelyV heldV in position in such fashion as to prevent its displacement from about disc I0; Upon the lower side of eachY slide bolt 23-is a rack 26;y with eachof which a gear sector 2l meshes, each sector being pivoted by means of a pin-` 28.tothe base pla-teer disc I0. Each gear sector 2l is alsov provided with an operating arm 2S biased in upward direction by meansiof a pair ofI springsS, 30 attached'thereto at one end ofeach, the other end of each spring being connected; to` a stud or the like 43I xed directly uponI plate or disc I0. Above the inner ends of the operating arms-29, 29 is located a solenoid casing 32.preferably containing a pair of solenoids: from which twordownwardly-movable solenoid cores- 33 project, the lower ends of these cores resting upon the inner ends of arms V29, 29 of sectors 2l. Thesolenoid casing 32 is secured directly to the disc I9, and through the latter as well as'through the ships side 8, as best seen in Figure 5, aconductor cable leading to the solenoid casingat 34 extends` into the solenoid casing to provide connection with an electrical system whichis controlledpreferably from the bridge of` the ship by means of selective or gang switches, the circuit per se forming no part ofthe invention as such.

At three substantiallyequidistantly-spaced points upon the cap ange I'l are provided apertures 35, 35, etc., through which extend the cable lanyards 33, 33, 35i terminating exteriorly of a flange in thenotches 31, 31, 3l, with the other endsl of the lanyards secured together and to a main attachment cable 3,8.atthe common junction 39, while the` inner end, of the cable 38 isv secured at 4B to a ring 4I attached directly to base plate or disc I0, as best seen in Figure 4 and Figure 5. With respect to the expansion spring 22, it may be noted in Figure 5 that a bolt 42 extends axially inward through sleeve I9 for initially forming the spring, but is thereafter removed so that a small aperture 43 (Figure 2) remains in the end 2| of the sleeve, While the flange 23 retains the sleeve in position, being preferably brazed or Welded', to the cap or bell I6, If. desired, the aperture 43 may also he closed in any manner desired.

Normally, the lanyards 36 and the main cable 33 are coiled up within the bell or cap I6, as best indicated in Figure 3, while the cap rests on lugs I3, I3V and the upper bolts 23, 23 project out through the peripheral flange II thereof. The arrangement is such that when the solenoids 44' within the solenoid casing 32 are energized by current being supplied thereto, the solenoid cores-33 will be projected downwardly, as indicated in Figure. 6, thereby pushing down the inner ends of arms or levers 29 against the tension of springs 30, thereby partly rotating gear sectors 2l. meshing with racks 26 and thus drawing the slide bolts` 23, 23 inwardly toward each other` and toward solenoid casing 32. When the outer ends of slide bolts 23 are thus withdrawn into the outline of base I0, the upper portion of retarding bell or cup I6 is no longer held by the slide bolts against the expansive action of spring 22 which immediately projects the bell outward from the disc and tips the same off the two supporting lugs I3 while disengaging flange I'I of the bell from pins I4, I4 of said lugs. As the bell immediately drops away from disc I0 into the water, the cable 38 and lanyards 36 are, of course, immediately uncoiled and fully released into extended position, as shown diagrammatically in Figure 2, wherein a group of retarding devices arel released and dragging in the water 45. It is readily seen that ifl a ship is equipped with a series of retarding devices forming a retendncr system upon each side thereof and electric switches upon the bridge of the ship are arranged toV operate the solenoids of either or both groups of devices, the Closing of such switches will cause instant release of all of the retarding cups or bells upon one side or both sides of the ship, as the case may be, with the immediate result of checking the momentum of the ship without the unavoidable delay that would ensue if dependence were had upon the stopping of the engines and reversal thereof. The strain on the ship caused by the sudden drag of the launched saveship retarding devices is, of course, greatly minimized by distribution of a great nuznber thereof over a considerable area of the hull.

When an emergency arises, a head-on collision is averted by releasing both port and starboard series of retarding devices simultaneously, but to avert a collision on port bow, the starboard saveship retarding devices are released, with the result that the vessel will immediately begin to turn when the port retarding devices are also to be released, which will compensate the starboard roll so that the ship will come to rest on an even beam. In order to avert a collision on starboard bow, the port retarding devices are first released and when the ship begins to turn, the starboard retarding devices are also released, so that theport roll will be compensated and the shipwill again come to rest upon an even beam. The circuits and switches to effect these operations are substantially obvious and superfluous to illustrate, the main feature being that all of the saveship retarding devices on one side of the ship may be released simultaneously and thus the solenoids thereof should obviously be connected in parallel, each side of the ship being independent from the other and therefore controlled by a separate switch or push-button. As each ship usually has generating equipment for illumination and other purposes, the ships current will suflice for operating the solenoids.

It has been mentioned that the base disc Il) is preferably made of boiler plate or other sheet metal and it may be stated that the retarding bell or cup I6 is preferably made of light metal, such as aluminum or light alloy, although I am not limited to any particular metal, but these merely serve as examples of materials which are suitable for use.

It has been stated that casing 32 contains two similar solenoids 44, 44 equipped with two cores 33, 33 individually actuating the two operating arms 29, 29. However, if I desire to simplify this arrangement by using a single solenoid with a single core associated therewith and either the core provided with a sufficiently wide lower end to engage the mutually-adjacent ends of operating arms 29, 29, or the ends linked or connected together to operate simultaneously and the core engaging upon either or both to actuate both arms.

Manifestly, variations may be resorted to and parts and features may be modified or used without others within the scope of the appended claims.

Having now fully described by invention, I claim:

l. The combination with a concave retarding or braking cup or bell, a plurality of lanyards connected at their outer ends to the bell, and a retaining cable conicted to the other ends of the lanyards serving to connect said bell to a ship, of a base plate xed upon the side of the ship, a peripheral flange upon said bell fitting about the base plate, an anchoring member upon the latter for securing the end of the retaining cable thereto within the outline thereof, the peripheral flange having a plurality of apertures through which the lanyards project from within the bell and terminate exteriorly thereof in securing ends or knots, a pair of supporting lugs rigidly fixed upon the base plate which are spaced apart and project exteriorly thereof and perpendicularly thereto from the lower peripheral portion of said plate in order to support said bell on the lugs in upright position about said plate, the flange having a further aperture therein, at least one bolt slidably mounted on the upper portion of said base plate in a position to be projected at one end beyond the outline of said base plate into the further aperture in said flange, means for withdrawing said bolt from engagement with the latter aperture, and means for actively projecting said bell off said supporting lugs and away from said base plate when said bolt is withdrawn from said further aperture.

2. The combination with a concave retarding or braking cup or bell, a plurality of lanyards connected at their outer ends to the bell, and a retaining cable connected to the other ends of the lanyards serving to connect said bell to a ship, of a disc forming a base plate fixed upon the side of the ship, a peripheral flange upon said bell fitting about the periphery of the base plate or disc, an anchoring member upon the latter for securing the end of the retaining cable thereto within the outline thereof, the peripheral flange having a plurality of apertures through which the lanyards project from within the bell and terminate exteriorly thereof in securing ends or knots, a pair of supporting lugs rigid with the base plate spaced apart and projecting exteriorly thereof perpendicularly thereto from the lower peripheral portion of said plate in order to support said bell on the lugs in upright position, a locating pin or stud fixed upon each supporting lug, the flange having a. pair of apertures into which the locating pins project when the flange rests on said lugs, a plurality of brackets fixed on said base plate, a pair of further apertures spaced apart in the flange, a pair of slidable bolts slidably mounted in the brackets in effective position to be projected at one end of each beyond the outline of said base plate into the further apertures in said flange, a compression spring secured at one end within the intermediate portion of said cup or bell, a receiving cup or seat portion upon the intermediate portion of said base plate in which the other end of said spring is adapted to engage, racks rigid with the slide bolts, a pair of gear sectors pivotally mounted on said base plate in effective position to mesh individually With the racks, a pair of operating arms fixed on said gear sectors and projecting inwardly toward each other, and means for moving the operating arms and thereby partly rotating said gear sectors and thereby withdrawing the ends of said slide bolts from engagement with said further apertures in said flange in order to release said retarding cup or bell and allow said spring to project the latter away from the base plate and off said supporting lugs.

3. The combination with a concave retarding or braking cup or bell, a plurality of lanyards connected at their outer ends to the bell, and a retaining cable connected to the other ends of the lanyards serving to connect said bell to a ship, of a disc forming a base plate xed upon the side of the ship, a peripheral flange upon said bell fitting about the periphery of the base plate or disc, an anchoring member upon the latter for securing the end of the retaining cable thereto within the outline thereof, the peripheral flange having a plurality of apertures through which the lanyards project from within the bell and terminate exteriorly thereof in securing ends or knots, a pair of supporting lugs rigid with the base plate spaced apart and projecting exteriorly thereof perpendicularly thereto from the lower peripheral portion of said plate in order to support said bell on the lugs in upright position, a locating pin or stud fixed upon each supporting lug, the flange having a pair of apertures into which the locating pins project when the flange rests on said lugs, a plurality of brackets fixed on said base plate, a pair of further apertures spaced apart in the flange, a pair of slidable bolts slidably mounted in the brackets in effective position to be projected at one end of each beyond the outline of said base plate into the further apertures in said flange, a compression spring secured at one end within the intermediate portion of said cup or bell, a receiving cup or seat portion upon the intermediate portion of said base plate in which the other end of said spring is adapted to engage, racks rigid with the slide bolts, a pair of gear sectors pivotally mounted on. said base plate. in. effective position to,V mesh individually; with` thev racks, a pair of operating armsfixed on said gear sectors and projecting inwardly toward each other, and meansfor moving the operating arms and thereby partly rotating said gear sectors and thereby withdrawing the ends of said slide bolts from engagement with said furtherV apertures in said flange in orderftorelease saidretarding cup or. belland allow saidl spring to project the lat-l ter, away-from the base plate and ofi' said supporting lugs,` said means including at least one solenoid. mountedl upon saidbase plate, a pair of further springsbiasing the operating arms upwardly-to normally project said slide-bolts outwardly beyond saidl base plate and a movable core projecting from said solenoid against said operating arms in eiective position to shift the latter downward and thereby cause partial reverseV rotation ofsaid gear sectors and conse.

quent withdrawal of the slideV bolts within the outline of said base plate.

4. Thecombination with a ship to be braked or retarded, of two groups or series of retarding devices forming a retarding system in which one vgroup is secured in, al longitudinally-spaced series upon one side of` the ship and the other groupsecured in a correspondingly longitudinally-spaced series on the other side of said ship,

each retarding device including a base plate fixed, Aupon the side of the shipa retaining cable having one end thereof secured to the base plate and having a plurality of lanyards secured to the other end thereof, a dome-shapedl concave retarding bell adaptedto be mounted normally in a covering position upon said base plate, the bell having a group ofA apertures in the-edge thereof with the lanyards attached to a limited number of these apertures froinwithin said bell to allow for rolling up the retaining cable and lanyards,

within the latter When the bell occupies its covering position upon said base plate, a plurality of supporting lugs projecting rigidly from the latterA in position to support said bell, releasable latch or boltmeans normally engagingV in at least one of said apertures to retainy said, bell on said supporting lugs, means upon said base plate for slidably supporting saidA releasable latch or bolt means, a sleeve projecting rigidly in axial direction inward within the bell, and a compression spring extending inwardly from said sleeve in effective position to propel said, bell away from said base plate and 01T said supporting lugs in released, position of said releasable latch or bolt means, and thereby cause said bell to be dropped into the sea with consequent unrolling of the retaining cable and lanyards and dragging said bell in the water.

5. The combination with a ship to be braked or retarded, of two groupsor series of retarding devices forming a retarding system in which one group is secured in a longitudinally-spaced series upon one side of the ship and the other group secured: in a correspondingly longitudinallyspaced series on the other side of; said ship, each retarding device including a disc forming a base plate fixed upon the sideof theship, a retaining cable connected at one end to the base plate within the periphery thereofY and at the other end having a groupof lanyards connected thereto, a dome-shaped retarding bell having. a peripheralv flange normally fitting loosely about the base plate, a peripheral ange having a plurality of aperturestherein to a limited number of which the lanyards are. connected from Within the bell, said lanyards. terminating exteriorly of the periphery in securing ends or knots, a pair of supporting lugs rigidwith the base plate spaced apart and projecting exteriorly thereof perpendicularly to the general plane thereof from the lower peripheralportion of said plate in order to support said bell on the lugs in upright covering position with respect to saidbase plate, a locating pin or stud xed upon each supporting lug, the ange having` a pair of apertures located in effective position to receive the locating pins when the flange rests on said lugs, a plurality of brackets fixed on said base plate, a pair of further apertures spaced apart in the flange, a pair of slidable bolts slidably mounted in the brackets in effective position to be projectedl at one end of each beyond the outline of saidbase plate into the further apertures in said ange, a compression spring secured at one end within the intermediate portion of said cup or bell, a receiving cup or seat portion upon the intermediate portion of said base plate in which the other end of said spring is adapted to engage, racks rigid with the slide bolts, a pair of gear sectors pivotally mounted on said base plate in effective position to mesh individually with the racks, a pair of operating arms fixed on said gear sectors and projecting inwardly toward each other, and means for moving the operating arms and thereby partly rotating said gear sectors and thereby withdrawing the ends of said slide bolts from engagement with said further apertures in said flange in order to release said retarding cup or bell and allow said spring to project the latter away from the base plate and off said supporting lugs, said means including at least one solenoid mounted upon said base plate, a pair of further springs biasing the operating arms upwardly to normally project said slide bolts outwardly beyond said base plate, and a movable core projecting from said solenoid against said operating arms in effective position to shift the latter downward and thereby cause partial reverse rotation of said gear sectors and consequent withdrawal of the slide bolts within the outline of said base plate from the further apertures in the bell flange.

ARTHUR P. JACKSON.

No references cited. 

